No data from Waveshare RS485 to ETH (B) into HA

[Askthesheep]

Hi,

Complete newbie here. I'm trying to implement the nathanmarlor Foxess - modbus service on Home Assistant and integrating it with the Octopus energy API. All was going well until I tried to pull data from the inverter and got the following error message:

Connection Status (Fox Inverter Modbus) changed to Error reading registers. Type: RegisterType.HOLDING; start: 31007; count: 22; slave: 247 from tcp://192.168.0.254:502: Modbus Error: [Input/Output] No Response received from the remote slave/Unable to decode response.

I've reviewed all the modbus settings as laid out in the very helpful wiki by nathanmarlor on github to make sure it wasn't my fat fingers causing the error. All the entries are the same (except the IP addresses). Everything I've tried fails to pull any data (including switching the wires on the modbus to make sure they weren't the wrong way round):

Current set-up is
H1-6.0-E-G2 Inverter
Firmware:
Master 1.22
Slave 1.02
ARM 1.37
Battery ECS4300
Firmware 1.004

Modbus is as per the title, but is the PoE version with Firmware version 1.490

Any suggestions/solutions gratefully received.

Cheers

Don

[Dave Foster]

Hi, it’s reporting no response which implies the inverter either isn’t seeing the request or not replying, a few things to look at -

It doesn’t take much in the way of a mismatch in settings for it not to work - what lights are showing on the waveshare? - when the ACT light is on permanently it usually suggests that the RS485 A/B wires are crossed over - they should be A>A and B>B.

The H1 G2 uses pins 3 & 4 for 485B / A - just to check you shouldn’t be using pins 1 & 2 as they are exclusively for the meter

When configuring the Waveshare make sure Port is set to 502, Work Mode is TCP Server, baud rate is 9600, 8, None, 1 and the Transfer Protocol is Modbus_TCP_Protocol

[Askthesheep]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the reply.

Must have checked the wiring half a dozen times. Definitely A>A and B>B and using pins 3 & 4. I used solid 1mm twin and earth cabling (I didn't have any ferrules that fit the com port on the inverter). Assume this is ok?

Lights on the waveshare are either Solid green link and Act is off, or solid blue link and ACT flashing blue.

Was going to paste a snip of my device settings, but didn't work, but I can conform the settings are as you mention below.

Cheers

Don

[Dave Foster]

Ok thanks for confirming, it sounds like it’s almost there.

Just to change attention to Home Assistant, are you using the latest HA core 2025.x and the latest integration v1.13.5b7

Have you been able to add the device and get any data from the inverter, or does it always fail when you attempt to add it.

[Askthesheep]

HA core 2025.5.2

When you say integration, do you mean the Foxess modbus integration? If so it’s 1.13.4, which seems to be the latest?

I’ve never managed to get any data.

However, while looking for the integration version, i came across “version” in the configuration settings. I assume this refers to inverter firmware version? I don’t recall ever seeing this when I originally set up the integration. There are 2 options, above or below 1.44. Looking back to my original post, I tried setting this to below 1.44 and hey presto, I now have data! Hopefully this isn’t temporary.

I’m waiting on Fox to update my firmware, so will need to remember to update this setting when they do.

Thanks for helping me get to a solution, even if indirectly, I never would have thought to check HA settings.

Cheers

[Leroy brown]

apologies for hijacking but I have been trying to get my inverter connected to home assistant for many hours now. I have made a lot of progress today by following some of the posts on this forum but I have just come top against a specific error code so I was wondering if anyone has any ideas?

Error reading registers. Type: RegisterType.HOLDING; start: 31007; count: 22; slave: 247 from udp://192.168.68.50:502: Modbus Error: [Input/Output] Unable to decode requestal

I haven't managed to get any data back from the inverter yet but feel like I'm almost there!

[Will]

Feel free to start your own topic so the original poster doesn't get spammed with answers to your bolt-on question.
First thing to check is if your inverter is up to date firmware wise and ask your installer to update you if not.
Firmware versions can be found here
viewtopic.php?t=1927

[Dave Foster]

HA core 2025.5.2

When you say integration, do you mean the Foxess modbus integration? If so it’s 1.13.4, which seems to be the latest?

I’ve never managed to get any data.

However, while looking for the integration version, i came across “version” in the configuration settings. I assume this refers to inverter firmware version? I don’t recall ever seeing this when I originally set up the integration. There are 2 options, above or below 1.44. Looking back to my original post, I tried setting this to below 1.44 and hey presto, I now have data! Hopefully this isn’t temporary.

I’m waiting on Fox to update my firmware, so will need to remember to update this setting when they do.

Thanks for helping me get to a solution, even if indirectly, I never would have thought to check HA settings.

Cheers

Ok, thanks for that - yes I did mean the Foxess Modbus integration there was a problem with HA Core and the integration a couple of months back but 1.13.4 is fine, there are later betas but they don't add anything to this problem.

We need to find out more about what is happening in the response from the waveshare/inverter - to do that you will need to have a program called modpoll installed which you can download here https://www.modbusdriver.com/modpoll.html - this is a command line utility that allows you to poll specific registers and provides a more verbose output

Once installed you will need to enter this command

modpoll.exe -m tcp -0 -1 -t 4 -a 247 -r 30000 -c 15 192.168.0.254

(assuming your IP address for the waveshare is still 192.168.0.254 if not replace that with the actual IP address of the waveshare).

Having the latest firmware will always help.

Some other things to check -

In the inverter settings (at the inverter panels menu) there is an option under Settings, Communication for RS485 which should contain the correct slave (Device ID) address of 247

And also to check that under Ethernet that it is disabled under DHCP as you cannot have RS485 and Ethernet enabled together.

[Askthesheep]

Hi, got it working yesterday. There was a config setting in the Fox integration that related to the inverter firmware. I don't think this comes up during the original install. It's a simple toggle to either later or earlier than 1.44. Once I changed this to before, data started being pushed through. Hopefully this "discovery" might help others who have data issues.

Thanks for your help.

[Will]

sounds like you need a firmware update still and then revert to the after 1.44 setting. You gain some worthwhile battery sensors on the new versions

[Askthesheep]

Thanks. I did ask Fox for a firmware update last week. Nothing yet.

[Will]

how did you contact them, on what email address or form?

Also did you include your inverter and datalogger serial number. If you email the wrong address or don't include the correct details you don't hear back.

[Askthesheep]

I contacted them through the app contact us form.

[Will]

email them using the contact email found here for your country. https://us.fox-ess.com/get-in-touch/